Topic

Building Community and Reciprocity in Community Advisory Councils: Stories and Lessons Learned from Trainee Leads and Community Members

Speakers

Nicole Tongol

Nicole Tongol (she/they/siya) is a second-generation immigrant born in Canada and raised by two proud Filipino parents. She is a co-lead of PRIME’s Immigrant Advisory Council and is a Clinical Psychology PhD student. Her research interests are primarily in immigrant family mental wellness and barriers to service access for immigrant families, especially as it pertains to the Filipino/a/x community

Margarita Serova, CM

Margarita Serova, CM is a marketer, speaker, and community builder with over 15 years of international experience. After immigrating to Canada with two children, she rebuilt her career from the ground up — an experience that now shapes her work supporting immigrant families, particularly parents, as they navigate career rebuilding, identity shifts, and well-being in a new country. She is the founder of Biz Moms Club, a professional community for mothers in business and careers, and leads a visibility and networking consultancy helping newcomers and internationally trained professionals rebuild networks, confidence, and opportunities in Canada. Her work focuses on reducing isolation, strengthening community connection, and supporting sustainable career re-entry for immigrant parents — all key to family mental health and long-term integration. Margarita is also a public speaker and will be speaking at TEDxWaverley on April 25, 2026.

Sydney Andersen

Sydney Andersen was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She is Anishinaabe and a member of Sandy Bay First Nation. Sydney is currently a Ph.D. Student in the Clinical Psychology program at the University of Manitoba. She serves as the co-chair for the Indigenous Advisory Council of CHRIM’s PRIME research theme. Her community-partnered research centres around Indigenous family wellbeing with a focus on maternal mental health.

Becky Conia

Becky Conia is a proud registered member of Opwaaganasiniing or The Red Rock Indian Band. She was born and raised in Thunder Bay Ontario. She has a B.A Sociology/Political Science from The University of Winnipeg. She is a member of The Child Bright Network engagement council and training committee. As a parent partner/person with living experience she is also currently supporting the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba’s (C.H.R.I.M) Research Advisory Committee (R.A.C), Partnering for Research Innovation in Mental Health (PRIME), Excellence in Neurodevelopment and Rehabilitation Research in Child Health and the SHARE lab. She is also a part of The University of Calgary’s Alliance for Disability Voices, Advocacy, and National Community Empowerment (ADVANCE) Network Caregiver Advisory Council. Recently she joined the newly formed Advisory Group of Parents and Patients with Lived Experience (APPLE) with Pediartic Outcome Improvement through COordination of Research Networks (POPCORN) She brings several years of experience and expertise with parent and youth engagement in research and youth advocacy.

Details

February 23, 2026
9:00 – 10:00 AM
JBRC 500